Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Benny: Man, this is baseball. You gotta stop thinking. Just have fun. I mean, if you were having fun you would've caught that ball. You ever have a paper route?Smalls: I helped a guy once.Benny: Okay, well chuck it like you throw paper. When your arm gets here, just let go. Just let go, it’s that easy. [starts to jog away]Smalls: How do I catch it?Benny: Just stand out there and stick your glove out in the air. I'll take care of it.

I am not exaggerating when I say I have chills remembering the above scene from the The Sandlot (1993), which I consider to be a classic summer movie. I loved this movie in grade school and still quote dialogue to this day. During the summer of 1962 sixth grader Scotty Smalls (Thomas Guiry) is the new kid on the block and is not good at sports (he doesn't even know who Babe Ruth is). His mother (Karen Allen) tells him that she doesn't want him to stay inside and isolate himself all summer. An adult Smalls narrates the story looking back on that summer, which he calls "the greatest summer of my life."

A group of boys in the neighborhood play baseball together every day: Benny (Mike Vitar), Squints (Chauncey Leopardi), Ham (Patrick Renna), Yeah Yeah (Marty York), Kenny (Brandon Adams), Betram, Timmy, and Tommy. They never keep score and never pick sides, they just play. One day Smalls attempts to play with them but is so embarrassed after he fails to catch a fly ball he runs away. Benny still invites Smalls back to play with them (and even gives him a better mitt and baseball hat) so they can have a full team of nine guys. The boys are reluctant to let Smalls, who can't catch or throw a ball, join their gang, but Benny, a natural leader, mentors Smalls and teaches him how to catch and throw a ball.

Behind the baseball field lives a huge dog, The Beast, whose legend terrifies the boys so much they don't even think to hop the fence to retrieve any of their lost baseballs. One day they lose their last ball over the fence and Smalls, coming to the rescue, remembers the baseball his stepdad (Denis Leary) has on the mantle at home, and tells the guys he has a replacement (not realizing it is signed by Babe Ruth). Everyone celebrates when Smalls hits the ball for a homerun, but Smalls freaks out because of how angry his stepdad will be with him; the ball was signed by "some lady.... Ruth. Baby Ruth." The rest of the boys, not able to believe Smalls actually played with an autographed Babe Ruth baseball, try to help him get the ball back by thinking of creative contraptions and schemes.

The Sandlot includes plenty of quotable dialogue and unforgettable scenes, including many lines where the boys attempt to one-up each other with insults ("You play ball like A GIRL!"). My favorite line has to be "You're killin' me, Smalls!" One of my favorite moments of the movie is when the boys play baseball on the 4th of July as the fireworks go off above them and Ray Charles sings "America the Beautiful" on the soundtrack. I also enjoy the non-baseball scenes, especially when they go to the pool to cool off and Squints pretends to drown to draw the attention of teenage lifeguard Wendy Peffercorn ("I've been coming here every summer of my adult life, and every summer there she is oiling and lotioning, lotioning and oiling... smiling. I can't take this no more!"). The memorable characters in the movie bring you back to the friendships you have when you are young, when the summers felt like they lasted forever.

Monday, July 26, 2010

This past Friday the 1925 Harold Lloyd film The Freshman opened the 2010 Silent Summer Film Festival at the Portage Theatre in Chicago (4050 N. Milwaukee Ave). Each classic silent film will be accompanied by live organ as the festival continues the next five Fridays at 8 PM. If you buy tickets in advance the cost is $10 ($9 for students or seniors). Tickets at the door cost $12. For the August 6 special event screening of The Mark of Zorro (1920) the film will be accompanied by The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra ($15 for advance tickets, $14/students, seniors; $17 at the door).

For the complete festival lineup and to buy advance tickets visit The Silent Film Society of Chicago website. This Friday the film is Ben-Hur (1925). Seeing a silent film on the big screen is a fun event that I recommend to any film lover. In June I watched Fritz Lange's classic Metropolis (1927) at the Music Box Theatre and I thought the whole night was an amazing experience.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Being a fan of the British band the Arctic Monkeys, I knew I was going to enjoy this CD/DVD set. Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo is a two-disc set. The CD is a 2006 live show at Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin, Texas, where the Arctic Monkeys perform songs from their debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. The DVD is a concert at the Manchester Apollo in England, where the band performs songs from both their debut and their second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, in addition to a few B-sides: "Nettles," "Leave Before The Lights Come On," "Da Frame 2R," and "Plastic Tramp." A DVD highlight for me is one of the special features, Multi Camera Matt, which shows four different camera angles of drummer Matt Helders during the song "The View from the Afternoon." I also thought it was funny that at certain points during the show lead singer Alex Turner pokes fun at the people up in the balcony section for their somewhat calm demeanor.

Definitely check out this CD/DVD if you are a fan of the Arctic Monkeys. In the time since the DVD was recorded the band has grown as musicians, so I also think it's interesting to see older footage of their performances.Find it in the catalog!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962) is the story of Louis "Mountain" Rivera, an aging boxer who has just had his career ended for him by a young and hungry Cassius Clay. Cut loose from the stabilizing influence of his metier, Mountain faces the realities of an economy and society that have little use for him. His halting speech, ungainly size, and lack of worldliness make him ill-equipped for most "straight" jobs. Mountain's manipulative manager, Maish Rennick, pressures him to become a wrestler. This is a demeaning prospect for Mountain, a man whose pride in his life's work is central to who he is; typified by his pitiful and oft-repeated attempt at aggrandizement, "In 1952 they ranked me number five!" Mountain's loyalty to Maish is abiding and, as it turns out, completely unwarranted. The implications of this misplaced trust are heartbreaking.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Choosing the perfect movie for a date can be a delicate art, especially if you and your date have mismatched taste. You don't want to bring a Guy Maddin film to a date with a person whose all time favorite movie is Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous or the Scorpion King (though you might question why you are going out with them in the first place). You also want something that sets the mood properly- light, fun, slightly offbeat, and romantic but not setting the bar too high. Compiled below are movies that I would proudly take to a date. Not all titles will appeal to everyone, but would you really want to date someone who didn't like The Apartment? I'm just doing you a favor!

All the Real Girls (2003). It's risky to watch a movie that is, in part, about love gone wrong. But All the Real Girls also shows the fun of falling in love. And it stars two of cinemas most crush worthy actors: Paul Schneider and Zooey Deschanel. Plus you'll get major indie cred for a choosing a movie directed by David Gordon Greene. Oh, and the love scenes are pretty hot too. Find it in the catalog!

Annie Hall (1977). If you and your date are just the slight bit neurotic or bookish, odds are you will relate immensely to this movie. This is Woody Allen at his most charming; you almost understand why the ditsy but beautiful Annie (Diane Keaton) would fall for him. Annie Hall is full of relationship foibles, but still optimistic and funny.Find it in the catalog!

The Apartment (1960). You can't really go wrong with Billy Wilder and this is my favorite of his films. A romantic comedy about poor lovelorn C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemon), who lets the higher ups in his office use his apartment to carry out their extramarital affairs. This helps him get ahead at work, but he starts to question the morality of his actions when he sees how infidelity affects the elevator operator of his dreams (Shirley MacLaine).Find it in the catalog!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Pretty much everyone has had a bad date movie experience. Maybe you both thought it would be fun to see the new Neil LaBute movie (terrible idea). Or you wanted to show your date how worldly you are by playing a foreign film and mistakenly chose Dogville or Repulsion. When I was younger and more foolish, I watched Brazil on a date. In my defense, I wasn't the one who chose it. I love Terry Gilliam's dystopian retro-future epic, but my date didn't quite know what he was getting into. It's easy to kill the evening with a poor film choice, especially early on in a relationship. Here are some movies it's probably best to avoid watching on a date, unless you want to gauge your date's cinematic taste or get them to dump you:

Anything by Neil LaBute: Director and writer of In the Company of Men, Your Friends and Neighbors, Wicker Man, and theShape of Things. LaBute's films often involve battle of the sexes scenarios, misogynistic dialogue, men who are jerks, and women who are manipulative. If this sounds like something you'd watch on a date, you are probably better off single.

Anything by Lars Von Trier. Minimalistic Danish director Lars Von Trier films include Antichrist, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, Manderlay, and Breaking Waves. His work is often controversial, sexually explicit, and brutally violent. While his films are groundbreaking and often highly praised by critics, they are grim and unflinching.

Anything by Terry Gilliam. Gilliam is a surreal filmmaker with a bizarre vision. His films are long, emotionally exhausting, and sometimes less than successful. Brazil is one of my favorite movies ever, but the ending has many twists and turns that give you the feeling of being trapped. It's a brilliant film and Gilliam's masterwork, but not for everyone. Likewise, I enjoyed the Fisher King, especially the relationship between homeless professor Parry (Robin Williams) and the nervous, clumsy Lydia (Amanda Plummer), which is one of the strangest and sweetest movie romances. However, it's also a lengthy, dark film with an odd blend of fantasy and reality.

Monday, July 19, 2010

"When I don't hear from him it's as if I've died. As if the air is sucked from my lungs and I'm left desolate. But when I receive a letter, I know our world is real. It's the one I care for."
-- Fanny Brawne describing her relationship with John Keats, Bright Star

Allie: Why didn't you write me? Why? It wasn't over for me, I waited for you for seven years. But now it's too late.Noah: I wrote you 365 letters. I wrote you everyday for a year.Allie: You wrote me?Noah: Yes... it wasn't over, it still isn't over!
-- The Notebook

"Oh, my Dear Friend, my heart was trembling as I walked into the post office, and there you were, lying in Box 237. I took you out of your envelope and read you, read you right there."
-- Klara writing to her pen pal, The Shop Around the Corner

Within the past year the movies Dear John (now on DVD) and Letters to Juliet(playing in theaters) were released based around plots relating to writing letters (they both also happen to star Amanda Seyfried). For this list I thought of movies (owned by the library) that involved handwritten letters, not emails; the letters may play a minor role or drive the movie. I'd say my favorite recent examples of letters in the movies are Bright Star and The Young Victoria. It was also refreshing to see letter-writing in Youth in Revolt, as it is a recent release set in the present day and you would think the characters would be texting/emailing each other. Feel free to add more movies and/or scenes from movies in the comments section! And if you haven't seen Dear John yet, come watch it at the library tonight. We are showing it at 6 PM in the Meeting Room.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Looking for something cool to do this week? Why not attend a film festival? This is the inaugural year of the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, which will be held July 21-25 at the Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center in Palatine (150 E. Wood St.). Feature films, shorts, and music videos will be screened during the festival. Music video screenings and a live concert by Mount Prospect musician Chris Petlak kicks off the festival on Wednesday night at the Fred P. Hall Amphitheater (262 E. Palatine Rd., Palatine). The film screenings begin on Thursday night, and after-parties will be held at Emmett's (110 N. Brockway St., Palatine). Here are a few films included in the festival schedule that I think sound intriguing:

Driver's Ed Mutiny, directed by Schaumburg's Brad Hansen, which Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire calls "delightful" and "a surprisingly touching comedy/drama." Partially filmed in the Northwest suburbs, this John Hughes-ian film won first place in the Pro-Am category at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival in Marion, Iowa, back in April (see Daily Herald article here).

Educating Cooper, about a Chicago high school student, directed by Bryan Litt and filmed at several high schools in Chicago.

The Exploding Girl, directed by Bradley Rust Gray, which has its Illinois premiere at the festival.

That's just a small sample of what's screening at the festival. Visit the Blue Whiskey Film Festival website to view the complete festival schedule and buy festival passes.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

I hadn't heard of the Ruby Suns before listening to this album, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised. The Ruby Suns are a New Zealand-based indie rock band with a sound loosely described as psychedelic electro-pop with world music influences (soundfamiliar?). Going into the album I was expecting the water-downed version of Panda Bear's Person Pitch (one of my favorite albums ever). In fact, Fight Softly does remind me of Person Pitch, but more in terms of mood than music. It's a bright and joyful album that is able to transport your ears to a warmer and happier locale than say... your car during rush hour. Musically it reminds me a lot of Cut Copy's second album In Ghost Colours. The sound is synth heavy, loopy, and loaded with catchy pop hooks as well as the occasional new wave tendencies.

It took me a couple of listens to get into this album, which is not to say it's a difficult album to enjoy. As far as world music-tinged indie pop goes, it is slightly less accessible than Vampire Weekend or the Dodos, but much easier to digest than some of the Animal Collective's records (Here Comes the Indian comes to Mind). The Ruby Suns are definitely on the poppier side of the indie rock spectrum; some songs even remind me of Swedish pop acts like Air France or the Tough Alliance. Fight Softly has frequently been compared to the Animal Collective, which I don't totally agree with. It definitely shares the A.C.'s full and experimental sound, but the Sun's definitely have their own unique style.This album is probably most enjoyable if you go in expecting a weird and wonderful pop album rather than the next Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Favorite tracks: "Dusty Fruit" and "Cranberry" are probably the most accessible for Animal Collective fans and were the first songs I loved on the album. "Two Humans" is a wonderful ballad and probably the most straight forward electronica song on Fight Softly. However, my absolute favorite song on the album is the lush and dreamy "Closet Astrologer," which shows off singer/ mastermind Ryan McPhun's falsetto.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Undeclared, one of my all-time favorite TV shows, aired on Fox from 2001-2002 and was cancelled after one season. Judd Apatow, the show's creator, previously worked on another brilliant, short-lived show, Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000). Set at the fictional University of Northeastern California, Undeclared follows 18-year-old Steven Karp (Jay Baruchel) and his friends as they experience their first year of college. Funny guest stars also appear on the show, and many of the actors, writers, and directors involved with Undeclared have gone on to do work in movies.

Steven's British roommate, the handsome Lloyd (Charlie Hunnam) is a theater major and very popular with the ladies. They share a common area with roommates Marshall (Timm Sharp) and Ron (Seth Rogen, who also co-wrote several episodes). Across the hall are roommates Lizzie (Carla Gallo) and Rachel (Monica Keena). Their first night at college, Steven's dad Hal (Loudon Wainwright) shows up with the news that he and Steven's mother are separating. Hal often pops by campus to visit Steven and his friends; another frequent visitor is Lizzie's older boyfriend, Eric (Jason Segel), who manages a copy shop and either calls or stops by to check up on Lizzie. Both Wainwright and Segel are hilarious scene-stealers who add to the quality of the show.

In addition to Segel, several Freaks and Geeks actors (Busy Philipps, Samm Levine, Martin Starr, Natasha Melnick, David Krumholtz, Steve Bannos) also guest star in small roles. More guest stars include Amy Poehler as the head RA with a crush on Lloyd ("we like it on top"), Fred Willard as a history professor who makes history come alive, Ben Stiller as Eric's ex-stepdad, Kyle Gass as another of the copy shop guys, Adam Sandler as himself, and, my absolute favorite, Will Ferrell as a scary townie who writes students' papers for money ("Doubt me. Doubt me. Just tell me I can't do it. 'Cause nothing's more motivating than to hear those three words: Just doubt me."). Jon Favreau also directs an episode.

I think Undeclared presents a very realistic view of college life (apart from the huge size of the freshmen dorms, anyway). During the show's run on TV, I was actually in the same situation as the characters, as it was my first year in college and I had an "undeclared" major. The episodes feature relatable storylines such as working in the cafeteria ("the worst job on campus"), the excitement of applying for credit cards ("they're giving away free money!"), staying up all night to finish papers, and roommate issues such as being banished to the sofa (or worse, the rec room) because your roommate wants to be alone with someone. Such storylines, in addition to the natural chemistry between the actors, make this show a must-watch if you have never seen an episode (Baruchel refers to the cast as "realistically unusual and uncommonly copacetic" in his letter to Undeclared fans included in the DVD booklet). The DVD set also includes hours of awesome extra features such as commentaries, deleted scenes, and audition footage. The DVD booklet is very interesting to read through and includes background information from the writers of each episode.

By the way, both Undeclared and Freaks and Geeks are now re-airing on the Independent Film Channel (IFC). Click to see what some of the actors/directors/writers on Undeclared have gone on to do since the show ended:

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Come to the library in July for a free movie! All movies are shown in the downstairs Meeting Room. You do not need to make reservations or get tickets to attend. Popcorn, drinks, and a movie on the big screen, all for free!

Just remember that because audience capacity is limited to 80 people it is first come, first served. The Meeting Room doors open 30 minutes before the movie starts so you can grab seats and get your popcorn and beverages.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

This morning the nominations were announced for the 2010 Emmys, which will air August 29th. Visit the official Emmy website to view all the nominations. I'm most happy to see Outstanding Actress/Actor nominations for Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler of Friday Night Lights. Unfortunately, the Popeater.com Facebook campaign to get Zach Gilford an Outstanding Guest Actor-Drama nomination for his work in the powerful episode "The Son" was not successful; at least "The Son" was nominated for its writing. FNL also was nominated for Outstanding Casting. I've shared my love for this show before in a DVD review, and I'll repeat myself here: if you are looking for a show that realistically portrays marriage, friendship, difficulties teenagers face today as they grow up, and teamwork, then watch Friday Night Lights. This is a show that captures human moments from its actors and is definitely one of the best hours of TV you can find today. Season 4 currently airs Friday nights at 7 PM on NBC.

Lost received 13 nominations, including Outstanding Drama, Actor-Drama (Matthew Fox), Supporting Actor-Drama (Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn), Guest Actress-Drama (Elizabeth Mitchell), and Art Direction. The series finale, "The End," received nominations for Directing, Writing, Editing, Music Composition, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing. Confused about what's happening on the Island?

Not surprisingly, Mad Men received 17 nominations in total. The show received recognition for Jon Hamm (Actor-Drama), January Jones (Actress-Drama), John Slattery (Supporting Actor-Drama), Elisabeth Moss (Supporting Actress-Drama), and Robert Morse (Guest Actor-Drama), in addition to nominations for Writing, Directing, Casting, Cinematography, Costumes, Editing, Hairstyling, and Makeup.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Cute, happy couples can be annoying to be around. They constantly call each other pet names, hang on each other, patter on with inane conversation ("I love you, babe." "I love you more, babe."), and do other adorably gross couple things. I might be bitter or cynical, but I'm pretty sure any one who had to spend twenty minutes alone in a room with a "cute" couple would probably want to poke out their eardrums.

When it comes to TV couples, there can definitely be too much of a good thing. Once a couple gets together, if there aren't enough obstacles or tension in the relationship, it can be about as enjoyable as hanging out with a "cute" couple. For instance, I really enjoyed the Office when Jim and Pam were star-crossed coworkers (though I was Team Karen). Now that they are "soul-mates," I long for more scenes with Dwight. Unsurprisingly, my favorite TV couples tend to be lovelorn, awkwardly mismatched, and more fond of arguing than baby talk.

Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls(Veronica Mars). It's hard to explain the appeal of Logan. He's a rich kid, a bully, and always getting into trouble because of the sometimes terrible things he does. Yet he's also very loving and loyal to Veronica, and no one can roll off a sarcastic whip quite like Logan. He's definitely preferable to Veronica's other love interests- nice but boring jock Duncan and nerdy hipster Piz. Logan and Veronica start off as enemies and their relationship is very rocky; however, they always have amazing chemistry together and wonderfully sardonic banter.

Buffy Summers and Angel(Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Their relationship was trouble from the start: he's a vampire and she is a vampire slayer. However, its hard not to root for their star-crossed romance. Angel was an abstinence vampire long before Edward Cullen and he is cursed with having a soul (making killing people for food less enjoyable). He's also the only character on the show capable of matching Buffy's strength and courage.

The trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final installment in author J.K. Rowling's popular series, was recently released. This movie will actually be split into two parts. Part 1 comes to theaters on November 19, 2010, and Part 2 is released July 15 2011. What do you think of the trailer? If you've read the book, you know that a key scene, Harry's final battle with Voldemort, is altered in the movie-- the scene is not set in the Great Hall surrounded by the other characters. I will have to see how the scene plays out in the movie, because I thought the way Rowling wrote the scene was quite brilliant. Anyway, I am still unbelievably excited for both parts of Deathly Hallows. Accio anticipation for HP7!

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Stieg Larsson's international bestseller has been made into a film in the author's native Sweden. Roger Ebert gave the adaptation four stars in his review, and was particularly commendatory of actress Noomi Rapace as the heroine, Lisbeth Salander. You can expect a less-interesting Hollywood remake in the near future. (The film's U.S. distribution is being handled by Music Box Films, the company which runs Chicago's finest movie theater.)Find it in the catalog!

A Single Man: Adapted from the novel by Christopher Isherwood, A Single Man is the directorial debut of fashion designer Tom Ford. Set in 1962, Colin Firth plays a gay British expatriate mourning the loss of his lover. The wardrobe and set design are every bit as impressive as you'd expect, given the talent on hand. (Ford hired the same production designers that have made AMC's Mad Men the gold standard for vintage style.) Colin Firth and Julianne Moore give excellent performances.Find it in the catalog!